The value of neurocognitive assessment for diagnosis and treatment in schizophrenic spectrum disorders

Abstract

The schizophrenic spectrum encompasses a set of disorders including, in schematic terms, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and thought, abnormal psychomotor behavior, cognitive impairment, and, sometimes, depression- or manic-like symptoms. Each of them can be present with different duration and intensity. The list includes, as states American Psychiatric Association (2013), a wide range of clinical pictures: schizotypal personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, brief psychotic disorder, and schizophrenia. It has been highlighted that categorical classifications are descriptive and atheoretical.